A dark liquid is spreading in the ocean. Waves push the liquid to land. It collects on a beach. What is this black liquid?
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It is called oil! People drill into the ground for oil. It is gathered and placed on large ships called oil tankers. The tankers carry oil across the ocean.
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Sometimes the oil tankers get into accidents. The accidents cause tankers to spill oil into the water. This is called an oil spill!
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Sometimes people use large machines to drill for oil in the water. These machines are called oil rigs. In 2010, an oil rig had an accident. The accident started a fire, and it spilled oil into the Gulf of Mexico!
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Oil spills pollute the environment. This can be very dangerous. Oil is poisonous to animals. It covers their bodies and makes them sick. People help clean the oil off the animals.
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Cleaning up an oil spill is hard. An oil spill can spread fast. It is hard to block it from spreading. Oil is also very hard to remove from water. Many volunteers are needed to clean up an oil spill.
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Scientists look for better ways to clean up oil spills. In 2011, scientists competed to find the best way to clean up an oil spill. The competition was called the “Oil Cleanup X Challenge.”
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People must work together to keep our environment safe and clean. Do your part and find ways you can help the environment too!
Index for Photographs The images found in this lesson fall under a Creative Commons license. Please note the citation listed for each individual image below. For information on use or redistribution of any of these images, please visit: http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/ Page 1 -http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Oil-spill.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Spilled_oil_from_Deepwater_Horizon_2010-04-22_1.jpg Page 2 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/LPG_tanker_George_N.JPG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Oil_tanker_in_Japan.jpg Page 3 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Amoco_Cadiz_1_edit1.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Tanker_Jessica_aground_in_Galapagos.jpg
Index for Photographs The images found in this lesson fall under a Creative Commons license. Please note the citation listed for each individual image below. For information on use or redistribution of any of these images, please visit: http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/ Page 7 - http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6222/6218418304_a55c400450_o.jpg http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6217859307_5cb6d2131a_o.jpg http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6105/6218367100_68e1a74c26_o.jpg http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6221/6217838915_e2b3f19254_o.jpg Page 8 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/US_Navy_110604-N-KK576-223_Information_Systems_Technician_Seaman_Carmel_P._Jeanmichel%2C_assigned_to_Navy_Cyber_ Forces%2C_picks_up_trash_and_debris_dur.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Children_volunteers_helping_plant_a_pollinator_garden.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Children_learn_about_planting_trees.jpg